We sat down with Ben Rosario to talk all things The Marathon Project—but first, we trace his journey through the sport. From his early running days to launching Big River Running Co. in college, moving to Flagstaff to found NAZ Elite, Ben’s path has been a fun journey to follow. Now, he’s reviving The Marathon Project in a bold, reimagined way, and Meg will be one of the 1000 amateurs toeing the line of the Gold Wave. If you’re interested in running The Marathon Project, you can get more information and apply here: https://www.themarathonproject.com/

Robbe is currently losing his lungs in Colorado as he gets ready to help Taylor run the Leadville 100, but we got this podcast recorded before he self-destructed. I mean, we kind of self-destructed by diving into things we know nothing about, like carnival games at the doctor's office, WNBA, and declaring the day after the Super Bowl an official federal holiday. Enjoy your day off, you're welcome. Oh yeah, we also talk about two shoes that dropped out of nowhere, the all-new Asics Sonicblast and Megablast.

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LA SPORTIVA

Possibly the best trail shoe of 2025, the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro is crafted for ultrarunners, trail addicts, or anyone chasing their next big effort. With XFlow Speed, a dual-super critical nitrogen-infused EVA and TPU midsole technology, AND an ultralight Power Wire mesh upper - it’s responsive, durable, and ready for any terrain. Go farther, go faster! Shop the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro: https://rei.pxf.io/gOXQy0

LMNT

Thomas is mixing and matching flavors, Robbe is tapped into the Mango Chili, but whatever you go with, just know you're getting 1,000 mg of sodium plus other key electrolytes that will restore balance to your life after any hard effort. You'll also get an 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase, so don't miss out: http://drinklmnt.com/thedrop

INDEX

0:00 - Intro

4:48 - Getting Weighed at the Doctor's Office

8:18 - Asics Metaspeed Ray + Balloons

17:38 - WNBA

21:39 - Move Her Mind Event Series (Louisville, KY)

35:02 - Fall Marathons, Weekend Trail Races, La Sportiva Prodigio Pro

48:03 - Robbe and Taylor at Leadville 100 / Reese at TransRockies

53:30 - $10 on a Starbucks Gift Card and a Dream

55:33 - Super Bowl Sunday Scheduling Suggestions

57:28 - Muppets and Other Assorted Haunting '80s Characters

1:03:12 - Tracksmith Trail Collection

1:15:04 - Our Beloved Running Staples

1:22:35 - Asics Sonicblast + Megablast, Miscellaneous End-of-Episode Talk

Fresh off his win in the 1500 at Hayward Field for the US Champs, Under Armour elite Jonah Koech joins us in studio to talk about that race, the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo, and his mindset during running. Also, he's lived in Baltimore for three years and hasn't had crabs or gone to an Orioles game so we need to fix that ASAP.

Watch his race: https://youtu.be/dWnr_7vdQVk?si=nbI36ADoNehCScmu

From swim stories to ostrich racing to figure out if we're Team Shelby, the stars aligned this week to bring you the best running content second to the National Championships. We also recap Summer GRIT and this past weekend's ice cream party before diving in the New Balance Fresh Foam More v6 and a little bit of Puma Velocity Nitro 4.
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LMNT
Thomas is mixing and matching flavors, Robbe is tapped into the Mango Chili, but whatever you go with, just know you're getting 1,000 mg of sodium plus other key electrolytes that will restore balance to your life after any hard effort. You'll also get an 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase, so don't miss out: http://drinklmnt.com/thedrop
SWIFTWICK
The best running socks in the game, Swiftwick is made right here in the USA, which means no price increases on account of tariffs. We're always running in their socks and you should be too. The Drop listeners can get 15% off their first purchase with code BELIEVE15.
Shop here: https://swiftwick.com/collections/believe
INDEX
0:00 - Intro
1:30 - Meg's D.C. Trip, Airport Sushi, KOC Supreme Convention
12:42 - Model Planes, Ultra Gliders, Swim Stories
21:50 - Taylor in Town, GRIT Party Weekend, Ostrich Racing
46:02 - Summer GRIT Results Breakdown
53:44 - London Marathon and Guinness World Records, Lightning Strikes
58:49 - USATF National Championships, TSA's Policy on Greek Yogurt
1:09:37 - Shelby Houlihan
1:15:03 - New Balance Fresh Foam X More V6, Miscellaneous Shoe Talk

Taylor sits down with Josh Rosenthal, founder of Borderlands, a trail runner's hub that centers on community. We talk about his small-town roots, entrepreneurial spirit, and how running has hooked him like nothing else. Listen to his story and everything he's involved with in the trail running space.
Check out Borderlands: https://www.instagram.com/runborderlands/

We were all surprised to learn that Monterey Jack cheese came from Monterey, but we weren't surprised by Meg churning out some fast miles at the Wharf to Wharf 6-miler in Santa Cruz. We recap her West Coast journey as well as Thomas and Robbe's trip to Brooklyn (just a couple days after the launch of the On Cloudsurfer Max). Also, Summer GRIT just wrapped up and we had some incredibly performances to highlight (including one woman who has racked up 160,000 feet of elevation gain in one month). Lastly, we highlight the Nike Structure 26 and Norda 008, two shoes that have carried us through the past couple weeks.

INDEX

0:00 - Intro

6:30 - Move Her Mind Event Series (Monterey) / Wharf-to-Wharf 10K Race

24:50 - Robbe in Florida

29:41 - On x BITR Brooklyn Event

43:52 - New Balance x BITR x Coffee & Chill Brooklyn Event

1:05:20 - Norda 008

1:10:00 - Nike Structure 26

1:21:40 - Summer GRIT Leaderboards

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LAGOON PILLOWS
We use Lagoon to get our best sleep and you should too. Featuring super soft covers, Certi-Pur foam and customizable features, they'll help you find the best pillow for your sleeping style. Plus, they're owned by runners. Visit them and use the discount code BELIEVE for 15% off your first order: http://lagoonsleep.com/believe
LMNT
You already know that LMNT has been getting us through Summer GRIT thanks to its blend of electrolytes and 1000 mg of sodium. It's a summer running necessity, and since you're a listener of The Drop, you get an 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase: http://drinklmnt.com/thedrop

Running is firing on all cylinders right now, which means that run culture is a multi-facted ecosystem revolving around branding, fashion, and personal style. Today on the podcast, Robbe chats with our run culture editor Alfredo Mejia, who joins him from Berlin to talk about the most exciting stuff happening in run culture, including everything he saw at Paris Fashion Week last month.
Make sure you read all of Alfredo's stories at believeintherun.com, and follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alfredo.mejiaa/

Robbe is manifesting true Florida Man energy this week so Karl takes his place in front of the camera. Topics this episode include our fall race plans, beer floats, the final TransRockies Run, and more Summer GRIT updates. We also take a look at the Puma Velocity Nitro 4, the new lightweight daily trainer from Puma that is pretty versatile by all accounts.

Join the boys this Sunday, July 27 in Brooklyn for "Coffee & Chill" and sample a pair of the New Balance Rebel v5.

RSVP here: https://bit.ly/4o0Yop3

INDEX

0:00 - Intro

4:44 - Tour De France / Maryland Cycling Classic

8:39 - Mushroom the Dog / Karl's Chances of Getting a Dog

11:51 - Fall Race Plans / Running Talk

24:09 - Ruth Chepng'etich Doping Controversy

29:15 - Summer GRIT Weekly Updates

31:29 - Savory Ice Cream and Other Weird Snacks

35:46 - James Gunn's "Superman" / Entertainment Talk

42:26 - "Coffee & Chill" Brooklyn Event with New Balance

49:18 - ETC Race at UTMB / The Final TransRockies Run

1:00:29 - Puma Velocity Nitro 4 / End-of-episode Nonsense

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

SWIFTWICK

The best running socks in the game, Swiftwick is made right here in the USA, which means no price increases on account of tariffs. We're always running in their socks and you should be too. The Drop listeners can get 15% off their first purchase with code BELIEVE15.

Shop here: https://swiftwick.com/collections/believe

LMNT

You already know that LMNT has been getting us through Summer GRIT thanks to its blend of electrolytes and 1000 mg of sodium. It's a summer running necessity, and since you're a listener of The Drop, you get an 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase: http://drinklmnt.com/thedrop